To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Permit Sonoma
Staff Name and Phone Number: Scott Hunsperger, Planner II (707) 565-1908
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Second
Title:
Title
File No. LLA21-0022 Mahoney Family Lot Line Adjustment, 2455 Middle Two Rock Rd. and 2730 Spring Hill Rd., Petaluma
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a Resolution approving a Lot Line Adjustment between two parcels subject to Conditions of Approval and a Land Conservation Act Contract at 2455 Middle Two Rock Rd. and 2730 Spring Hill Rd., Petaluma; APN 022-280-007 and 021-160-008. (Second District)
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Executive Summary:
Staff has determined that the adjusted parcels are consistent with the County’s Uniform Rules for Agricultural Preserves and the Land Conservation Act and recommends approval of the Lot Line Adjustment to adjust two parcels devoted to grazing. The Mahoney Family requests to adjust their property line boundaries for family planning purposes, by reducing their existing 270-acre parcel to a 114 acre parcel and increasing their existing 108-acre parcel to a 266 acre parcel. Lot Line Adjustments on lands under a Land Conservation Contract require that the Board of Supervisors make findings of consistency with the Land Conservation Act requirements. The adjusted parcels meet the land use and density criteria of the General Plan and all of the required findings for Land Conservation Act Requirements.
Discussion:
Steven J. LaFranchi and Associates, on behalf of the Mahoney Family, seek approval of a Lot Line Adjustment between two legal parcels identified as APN 021-160-008 (Lot 1) and 022-280-007 (Lot 2). The current lot sizes are: 270+/- acres (Lot 1) and 108.77 +/- acres (Lot 2). The Lot Line Adjustment will result in two lots 114+/- acres (Lot 1A) and 266+/- acres (Lot 2A). The Lot Line Adjustment is being undertaken for family planning purposes.
Zoning for the parcels is LEA (Land Extensive Agriculture) B6 100 (100 acres per dwelling unit) and combining zones for Z (Accessory Unit Exclusion), and RC50/25 (Riparian Corridor with 50-foot and 25-foot setbacks).
Site Characteristics:
The affected parcels are located 2 miles west of the City of Petaluma, within the Petaluma Dairy Belt Area Plan. Each parcel is devoted to a commercial beef cattle grazing operation and contains a well, agricultural ponds and springs. Well pump tests conducted in 2020 for each well have demonstrated compliance with minimum water quantity requirements of the Sonoma County Code for residential construction in water scarce areas, under Permit Sonoma File No. WEL20-0255 and WEL20-0256. Existing Lot 1 is accessed via Middle Two Rock Road and abuts parcels zoned Diverse Agriculture (DA) to the north and smaller Agriculture Residential (AR) parcels to the east. Lot 2 is accessed via Spring Hill Road and is surrounded by larger parcels zoned Land Extensive Agriculture (LEA). Both parcels are subject to a single non-prime Land Conservation contract for grazing approved by the Board of Supervisors in 1999. After the lot line adjustment, property access and land use will remain unchanged. The resulting lots will continue to be managed for grazing and served by existing onsite wells. There are currently no residential structures onsite though each parcel contains areas with soils approved to accommodate onsite wastewater treatment systems (septic systems) for a single family dwelling. Specifically, resulting Lot 1A is approved to accommodate a six-bedroom septic system under Permit Sonoma File No. WSR20-0449 and resulting Lot 2A is approved to accommodate a four-bedroom septic system under File No. WSR20-0106.
Land Conservation Act:
State regulations for Land Conservation Contracts and the Sonoma County Uniform Rules for Agricultural Preserves and Farmland Security Zones (Uniform Rules) require that the amount of land under contract after a Lot Line Adjustment remain the same as it was before the Lot Line Adjustment and that the adjusted parcels continue to meet all the requirements for a contract. The proposed Lot Line Adjustment will not result in a reduction of land under contract and each parcel individually meets the requirements for a contract as both lots will continue to meet minimum parcel standards and be devoted to a qualifying non-prime agricultural use with at least 50% of each parcel devoted to a commercial beef cattle grazing operation. Staff has determined the Lot Line Adjustment meets all of the required findings as described in the attached Resolution.
Both lots are currently under the same Non-Prime (Type II) Land Conservation Act Contract. To facilitate a Lot Line Adjustment, Government Code Section 51257 permits the contracting parties to rescind the existing contract and simultaneously enter into new contracts if the required findings can be made. A condition of approval requires that prior to recording the grant deeds for the adjusted parcels, the owner apply to rescind the existing Land Conservation Act contract and replace it with two new contracts for the reconfigured parcels in accordance with the Uniform Rules.
Staff Recommendation:
Staff recommends the Board approve the request because all the state and local requirements for the Lot Line Adjustment can be met.
Prior Board Actions:
a. December 13, 2011; Board approves the Sonoma County Uniform Rules for Agricultural Preserves and Farmland Security Zones (Resolution No. 11-0678).
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
None. The applicant pays for the costs of processing the application. Both parcels are currently under a Land Conservation Act Contract and after the Lot Line Adjustment the reconfigured parcels will be under separate replacement contracts. There will be no new fiscal impacts as a result of this action.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
ATT 1: Draft Board of Supervisors Resolution with Attachment A-Conditions of Approval
ATT 2: Proposal Statement prepared by Steven J. LaFranchi and Associates
ATT 3: Assessor’s Parcel Map for APN 022-280-007
ATT 4: Assessor’s Parcel Map for APN 021-160-008
ATT 5: Lot Line Adjustment Site Plan
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A